The Dos and Don’ts of Back Care

When it comes to back care, you want to make sure you are doing exactly what you need to for the health of your back. Specifically, what habits you should adhere to, in order to keep your back pain-free and damage-free. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad habits that are socially accepted and are poisonous to the wellbeing of your back. In this blog, we will discuss several good and bad habits that can alter the health of your back. If you are guilty of any of the bad habits, it is always a good idea to visit with you local chiropractor. If you are keeping you’re keeping up with the good habits, continue the streak and maintain a healthy spine and back muscles.
Your back is important for your health and wellbeing. If you continue with bad habits, your back could be affected and cause you pain. Back pain is difficult to ignore and an incredible inconvenience to treat. Worse, once your back is damaged, it rarely can go back to normal. Because of this, back health should be at the top of your list. Luckily, many healthy living tasks are directly linked to the wellbeing of your back.

Your Bed

You may not think that your soft, squishy bed would ever cause you harm. In fact, your bed is your favorite place on the planet and has helped you “catch some z’s” and get a good night sleep. Although your bed helps you sleep, it actually might be hurting you at the same time. If you have ever woke up sore, or you are guilty of tossing and turning all night, the cause might not just be your positioning in bed — but the bed itself! In fact, some beds can be causing this pain just by sleeping on the mattress. But, how? Well, some old mattresses can lose their support and destroy the alignment of your back over time. Mattresses only last nine to 10 years, any older, and the mattress is too old to be of use. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, people who switched out their beds every five to seven years slept significantly better. Some people believe that just by flipping their mattress, their problem is solved. This would be very wrong. In the first few years, yes, flipping the mattress could potentially help. But, ultimately, after seven years, the mattress is beyond fixing. The best way to ensure that your mattress won’t harm your back is by switching it out every seven years. Also, the type of bed will determine the quality of your bed.
In the mattress world, there are two types of beds: firm and soft. However, in the mattress market beds can range significantly in between those two genres. Because there are so many options of different beds, it can become difficult to indicate which will be beneficial to your back. When it comes to mattresses, you want one that will give you the most support. Softer, padded beds will not give you the support your back needs. However, the same can be said with too firm of mattresses as well. With too firm of mattresses, your muscles won’t be able to relax and can be forced to tense up. Because of this, finding a mattress that ranged evenly between firm and soft qualities is the best for your back.

Your Desk

Your career is important to you, but it could be affecting your back in ways you would not think. During your eight hours of work, do you sit at your desk for long hours? If so, you are guilty of a dangerous habit. Sitting at your desk is terrible for your posture, which in turn, affects the quality of your back. It is important, when at work, that you alternate between standing and sitting. Now, there is no expectation that you stand all day long, however, sitting at your desk can be seriously damaging to your back. Being able to change up your working positions will be able to improve your posture and relax your back muscles.
If your office does not offer you the option of sitting and standing, try and purchase your own table raiser or even a stand-up desk for your desk. Standing at your desk while working with not only help your posture, but improve blood flow. If you are sitting all day at your desk, blood may not be flowing efficiently through your body. Because of this, standing at your desk is a great habit to get into.

Your Couch

Your couch is one of your sanctuaries and one of the places that you may spend most of your time. Because of this, it is important that you maintain a healthy balance between rest and exercise. Being a couch potato can be fun, but exercise offers you more benefits. When you spend your life in the comfort of your couch, your body won’t be able to get the proper blood flow, metabolism, or energy, it needs to maintain a healthy life. Also, when you sit on a couch, your posture is often slouched. If you spend long hours in this position, your back could be affected. Because your back muscles will be forced to regulate to bad positions, this could cause them to spasm or become aching. So, a good habit? Go to the gym. Go, as if your life depended on it — which it does.

Your Refrigerator

Research has proven that positive eating habits are good for your heart, your body weight, as well as your blood sugar. But more surprising, the finding found the connection between your dietary health and the benefits it has to you back. A study in Finland found that people with back pain were more likely to have clogged arteries to the spine, than found in healthy subjects. Despite what you may think, your diet is vital to your health. What you eat will directly relate to the state of your health. If you choose to veg out and eat unhealthy things, your body will not know how to process the complex types of sugars and carbohydrates you are ingesting. Worse, if you continue down the path of fowl eating habits, your body will pack fat deposits on your body. When you become fat, added weight packs onto your body — weight your back will then have to support. If you are getting too heavy, this will often cause your back muscles to inflame and ache.

Your Purse or Backpack

Weight is a common reason for your back to hurt. Whether your weight in on your body, or you are carrying something heavy, the effects are the same. So, even if you are 100 pounds, if you carry a heavy bag, you might be doing the same amount of damage. Worse, if you are carrying a heavy bag on just one shoulder, you could be doing extensive damage to not just that side’s back muscles, but the shoulder muscles as well. Carrying heavy objects around is a terrible habit for your back. The weight can take a toll on your muscles and the alignment of your back, which could incite extensive problems that are irreversible. One way to fix this problem is either invest in a roller bag, or limit the amount that you tote on a day-to-day basis.

Core Chiropractic and Wellness

When it comes to your back, using proper habits will help you maintain a healthy back. When you live with back pain, everything can become clouded behind your immediate pain. If you are guilty of the following bad habits, going to a chiropractic office could help you ease your muscles and correct your spine alignment. Better still, if you go to a skilled chiropractor, professionals will be able to educate you on positive methods to improve your posture and back problems. If you are living in Bakersfield, and are currently struggling with back and neck pain, visit Core Chiropractic and Wellness. We have a skilled chiropractor on staff that will significantly improve your circumstances. Contact us today.